A wave of teacher retirements is expected just as fewer college-bound students express a preference for teaching careers, and more diverse students reach school age. Former U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley suggested the nation would need more than 2 million new teachers over the next decade. This article presents some perspectives on innovations in P-16 and particularly on the profoundly important question: Who will teach? A new study by Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies offers the first statistical glimpse into the challenge faced by Massachusetts school districts each year. The Northeastern study found that, come late September, all but a few classrooms in Massachusetts were staffed by a teacher. At the same time, the study found that more than one-quarter of all secondary school teachers hired in Massachusetts last year lacked certification in their primary teaching area. The problem was particularly acute among special education, foreign language and math and science teachers. The study also anticipates that, over the next five to seven years, this fundamental teacher skills deficit will worsen considerably. The much discussed teacher shortage is not a classic labor shortage in which too many jobs chase too few qualified individuals. Rather, the predicament is the result of a recruitment and compensation system designed decades ago which has not kept pace with the contemporary economy.